Method of manufacturing can closures



June 14, 1932. L. HIRSCH ET AL METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CAN CLOSURES Filed April 4, 1930 .Awzix 4 VENTORS ATT NEYS.

Patented June 14; 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEONARD HIRSGH, OF LYNDHURST, AND EDWIN A. HARRISS,'OF ORANGE, NEW JER- SEY, ASSIGNORS TO R. B. DAVIS COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CAN CLOSURES Application filed April 4, 1930. Serial No. 441,446.

This invention relates to a novel and improved method of forming a metal closure forcans, and will be best understood from the following description and the annexed drawing, in which we have shown a selected way of practicing the invention and in which Fig. 1 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section showing the top of a can having applied thereto a closure made according to our novel method.

Fig. 2 is a section on the same plane as the sectional part of Fig. 1, showing a portion of the closure on an enlarged scale, before attachment to the can.

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views illustrating successive steps performed on a blank to form the closure.

In Fig. 1, we have shown the invention as applied to a can 1 having a top 2 secured thereto as by a seam 3 of any suitable construction. The top is provided with a recess 4 here shown as cylindrical in form and adapted to receive a plug 5. The bottom of the recess 4 is closed by a sealing member 6, preferably of relatively frangible material, as compared with the relatively non-frangible material of the top, the top being preferably formed of sheet metal. This invention relates to the means for fastening this sealing member to the top.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 9, inclusive, Fig. 3 shows a form of blank from which the top may be made. This blank may comprise a bottom 7 surrounded by a cylindrical Wall 8. By the use of suitable dies, the blank is brought to the form shown in Fig. 5, and then the bottom 7 is removed, as shown in Fig. 6, and the edge portion of the wall 8 is bent outwardly to form a circumferential flange 9, as shown in Fig. 7.

The next step is to place over' the bottom of the recess the sealing member 6, as shown in Fig. 8. This sealing 'member has the central portion thereof depressed, as plainly shown, and this depressed central portion is surrounded by a circumferential flange 10 engaging the inner face of the wall 8. The edge portion 11 of the sealing member forming an extension of the flange 10, is also bent outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 8, be-

fore the sealin member is laced in the position shown in t at figure. lthough the effect of this configuration is to provide a flange with an outwardly bent portion, nevertheless it is to be understood that, in practice, this configuration of the sealing member may be advantageously obtained b forming it from a fiat sheet by the use of sultable dies.

The next step is to lock the extreme edge of the portion 11 with the edge of the flange 9, and this is preferably done by rolling the flange 9 and the portion 11 so that the portion 11 will be folded back over the extreme edge of the flange 9, as plainly shown in Fi s. 1 and 9, and to better advantage in Fig. 2. his may be done by suitable spinning tools, the depressed central portion of the sealing member making it possible for one of said tools to engage the flange 10 and thus act against another spinning tool on the outside of the wall 8. v

, When the contents of the can are to be used, the frangible sealing member may be easil cut out so as to give access to the can whic may be temporarily closed by means of the plug 5. No ex osed rough edge will be presented after t is cutting.

We claim 1. The method of manufacturing a can top which comprises. forming a one-piece nonfrangible blank with a centrally disposed recess having a botttom connected to a peripheral wall spaced from the edge of the top, cutting out said bottom to leave a hole sup rounded by said wall, bending the edge portion of said wall outwardly to form an outwardly extending circumferential flange,

placing a sealing member of frangible sheet material over said hole in contact with said flange and with the edge .of the member extending beyond the edge of the flange,

folding said edge of the member over said recess having a bottom connected to a peripheral wall spaced from the edge of the top, cutting out said bottom to leave a hole surrounded by said wall flanging the edge portion of said wall, placing a sealin member of frangible sheet material over said hole in contact with said flanged edge portion of the wall and with the edge of the member extending beyond the edge of the wall, and rollin together the edge portions of the wall and o the member outwardly from the center of the recess with said edge portion of the member substantially in contact with said wall.

3. The method of manufacturing a can top which comprises forming a non-frangible blank with a centrally disposed recess having a bottom connected to a peripheral wall spaced from the edge of the top, cutting out said bottom to leave a hole surrounded by said wall, placing over said hole a sealing member of frangible sheet material having a central portion depressed to fit within said wall and having a circumferential flange extending beyond the edge of the wall, and rolling together the edge portion of the wall and said flange.

4. The method of manufacturing a can top which comprises forming a non-frangible blank with a centrally disposed recess having a bottom connected to a peripheral wall spaced from the edge of the top, cutting out said bottom to leave a hole surrounded by said wall, bending the edge portion of said wall outwardly to form an outwardly extending circumferential flange, placing over said hole a sealing member of frangible sheet material having a central portion depressed to fit within said wall and having a circumferential flange engaging said first-named flange, and rolling together said flanges.

5. The method of manufacturing a can top which comprises forming a non-frangible blank with a centrally disposed recess having a bottom connected to a peripheral wall spaced from the edge of the top, cutting out said bottom to leave a hole surrounded by said wall, bending the edge portion of said wall outwardly to form an outwardly extending circumferential flange, placing over said hole a sealing member of frangible sheet material having a central portion depressed to fit within said wall and having a circumferential flan e engaging said first-named flange and exten ing beyond the edge thereof, folding the edge portion of the second-named flange over the ed e of the first-named flange, and folding the e ge portions of both flanges to a position generally arallel to said wall.

LEON RD HIRSCH. EDWIN A. HARRISS. 

